Big Lazy Robot Leverages iPi Motion Capture to Bring Futuristic
World To Life In 'Keloid'

MOSCOW, RUSSIA – The world of "Keloid" (http://www.k3loid.com/) -- as realized in the intense
two-minute, CG trailer for the future sci-fi feature created by
Barcelona, Spain-based design/animation boutique Big Lazy
Robot (http://www.biglazyrobot.com/) -- brims with danger,
intrigue and a nightmarish future robot society, brought to life
thanks to their inventive use of iPi Soft's
(http://www.ipisoft.com) iPi Motion
Capture software.

Using iPi Motion Capture with two Kinect cameras in concert with
Autodesk's 3D Studio Max and Nuke compositing software, the
"Keloid" trailer plants the seeds for what Big Lazy Robot
hopes to turn into a feature length animated film – something,
according to J.J. Palomo, Creative Director of Big
Lazy Robot, that will likely begin in early 2013.

"We're mostly known for our visual effects work in
advertising, but every now and then we like to experiment and do
something on our own to showcase our skills and give free reign to
our potential," Palomo says. "One of our animators came
up with the idea of a mechanical SWAT force rushing into a
clandestine drug lab also operated by robots. The idea was
appealing, but we knew the conceptual treatment would require
extensive amounts of motion capture to bring the troop of six robot
soldiers to life with synchronized military precision as they enter
the abandoned warehouse that is the setting for much of the
trailer."

"We set up in our office using Kinect cameras, and just
loved the outcome," says Palomo. "We used iPi Motion
Capture to animate the main robots, and because we wanted a more
realistic approach in the biped animation, coupled with our small
staff, we could not afford to spend a lot of time digitally
animating robots into the scenes."

iPi Motion Capture was used in primarily to capture robots'
torso and legs, with arms left as reference mark to be hand
animated later on. The animated robots hold their weapons at eye
level at all times and explore the environment while aiming them,
because of this the Big Lazy Robot animators quickly realized to
pull off the action the way they envisioned it they would have to
capture the motion of the actors holding a prop rifle, then marry
the motion capture to the character rig they designed, except for
the arm movements, which were animated separately.

For Palomo, one of the most difficult sequences in the trailer
is a scene that is shot about a minute into the trailer in which we
all six robot soldiers appear in the frame at the same time.

"We had to devise a bit of choreography to get a shot that
was readable and not confusing," Palomo explains. "We
worked with 3D Studio Max in BVH format, and loaded the motion
capture data onto our more complex rig system, where we could then
we could touch up, clean and reanimate.

He adds, "We also recorded different captures that were
composited separately during post. The Kinect camera worked great,
but it can be limited when trying to depict six characters moving
forward in a scene at same time."

iPi Soft is currently working on multiple actor motion capture
capability, an enhancement that it hopes to offer customers some
time 2013. "For 'Keloid' we used techniques we hadn't tried
before," Palomo says. "We never worked on such elaborate,
dark atmospheres and close, oppressive scenes with so much
intricate lighting. Our understanding of iPi Motion Capture has
only begun. Using it on 'Keloid' was a learning process, but now
it's a part our pipeline and we're looking forward to future
product enhancements that will facilitate a smooth workflow and
impact our creativity for years to come."

About iPi Motion Capture

iPi Motion Capture is a markerless motion capture software tool
that uses sophisticated image processing and computer vision
algorithms to recognize and track the human body. The scalable
system supports dual Kinect cameras working at the same time on the
same PC capturing complex motions, including 360-degrees turns. It
also supports other inexpensive off-the-shelf equipment such as
PlayStation Eye cameras and webcams.

iPi Motion Capture brings a totally new workflow paradigm to
filmmakers, CG animator broadcast motion graphics designers,
videogame developers and prosumers in entertainment, military and
other vertical markets. Captured animations do not exhibit
artifacts like jitter or foot skate and can be exported in popular
animation formats including FBX, BVH and COLLADA. The software is
compatible with many leading game engines, 3D software applications
and animation rigs, including MAXON CINEMA 4D, Autodesk Maya,
Autodesk 3D Studio Max, DAZ 3D DAZ Studio, Poser, Valve Source
Engine, Unreal Engine, Unity and others. It also includes an
integrated motion transfer engine and supports accurate motion
retargeting for custom rigs. For more information, click here:
http://ipisoft.com/products.php